Car-coupling



(No Medel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. F. A. WESTBROOK 8v W. S. COOK.

GAR GOUPLING.

No. 427,385. Patented May 6, 1890.

UWM.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. A. WESTBROOK 8u W. S. COOK.

GAR GOUPLING. No. 427,385.

Patented May 6, 1890.

f/ll]1///////////////////l 'm A Wznsses 7) UNrTnn STATES PATENT Orme FRANK A. VVESTBROOK, OF PORT JERVIS, AND VINFIELD S. COOK, OF

i MIDDLETOVN, NEV YORK.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters` Patent No. 427,385, dated May 6, 1890.

Application led March 2l, 1890. Serial No. 344,769. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern;

Be it known that we, FRANK A. VESTBROOK and VINFIELD S. COOK, of Port Jervis and Middletown, respectively, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Oar-Couplings; and We do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, suoli as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in automatic car-couplings; and it consists in, first, the combination, with a draw-head, of a screw-pin which is passed down through its front end, a knuckle which is placed thereon, and an automatically-acting catch connected to the lower end of the pin, and, second, in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter described.

The objects of our invention are toso construct the parts that the knuckle automatically closes after the cars have uncoupled orA the knuckle is opened from any cause; to attach to the screw-threaded pivotal pin a catch whereby the pin can be allowed to turn freely in its bearings or be locked in position, and to provide a simple mechanism whereby the knuckle is locked in position after closing.

Figure l is an inverted view of a car-coupling which embodies our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the car-coupling alone. Figs. 4L and 5 show pivotal pins with the threads placed at opposite ends. Figs. 6 and 7 are views of the locking device, taken from opposite sides.

A represents the draw-head, which may either be of the shape here shown or any other that may be preferred; B, the knuckle, and O the pivotall pin upon which the knuckle turns. This pin vis provided with a screwthread at either its upper or its lower end, and the thread is made either right or left, according as the knuckle is to be'madeto automatically open or close. If this pin 1s provided'with a left-hand thread, as shown in This closing movement is cient force in contact with a car provided with the old link-andpin coupling. If the knuckle is closed when the old form of pinand-link coupling strikes it, the knuckle presents a solid surface, against which the old link and pin strikes, and nothing is injured unless it should be the coupling-link.

VIf it is desired to have the knuckle remain open, it is only necessary to disengage the automatically-acting catch D, pivoted upon the lower end of the pin, and then the pin and knuckle revolve together, and the knuckle does not climb upon the thread when thev knuckle is opened, as it does when the pin is stationary. This catch D is heavier at one end than the other, and the lighter end is provided with a projection F, which catches in a corresponding recess in the bottom of the outer end of the draw-head.

Should it be desired to have the knuckle automatically open when left free to move, it is only necessary to form a right-hand screwthread upon either the upper or lower end of the pivotal pin and a corresponding thread in the knuckle, and then the knuckle will automatically open, and thus be in position to couple when the cars run together. This last construction will be desirable when a majority of the cars are provided with a drawhead of the nature here shown.

Upon the inner en d of the arm of the knuckle is formed a shoulder Gr, and the upper and inner corner of this arm is rounded away, so that when it strikes the inclined shoulder or ange H on the lookin g device I this locking device will be raised in the draw-head until after the end of the arm has passed beyond the locking device, when the device at once drops in front of the arm, as shown, for the purpose of preventing the knuckle from opening. This locking device I is pivoted in the draw-head, so that it has a partially-turning movement, and its free end simply rises far enough to allow the end of the arm to pass under it. In order to operate this locking device, there is pivoted in the draw-head the lever J, which has its front end to catch in the recess L in the locking device, so that when the lever is raised by means of the operating-rod N, which extends across under the draw-head, the locking device will be raised so as to release the arm of the knuckle. The locking device is pivoted at one corner, so as to make it always automatic in its operation. It' it were not pivoted, it would have to be placed upon an inclined surface, and would not be so certain in its operation. On the rear side of this locking device I is formed a shoulder P, which contacts with a corresponding shoulder Q, formed in the draw-head, and thus no strain is ever brought to bear upon the pivotal pin upon which the locking device is placed. In the outside of vthis locking device is formed a link-pocket R, in which the end of the link strikes if driven back by accident into the draw-head, and thus prevents injury to the locking device. The pivot of the locking device being placed below its center, the greater the strain upon the knuckle after it is closed the more the locking device resists the pressure of the knuckle to raise it. As the lever .I projects through a slot in the draw-head a suitable distance below its lower edge, so as to engage with the operating-rod, it becomes necessary to groove or bend the stirrup O at its center, in order to allow the draw-head to play freely back and forth without the projecting part of the lever coming in contact with the stirrup. The operatingdever is pivoted as close as possible to the rear edge of the stirrup, so that a greater leverage is obtained upon the lever than could be done if the rod were pivoted farther back, and then the end ,of the operating-rod extends to the side of the cars at or near the place where the stirrup upon which the brakeman mounts upon the ear is secured. This operating-rod,

extending to the stirrup upon which the brakeman mounts, is in position to be operated so as to uncouple without the brakeman having to dismount.

Having thus described our invention, we claim l. The combination of the draw-head, the knuckle, the locking device, the screw-threaded pivotal pin upon which the knuckle is placed, and a catch for preventing the pivotal pin from turning, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of the draw-head, the knuckle, the pivotal pin upon which the knuckle is placed and provided with a thread at one end, which corresponds to a thread formed in the knuckle itself, and an automatically-acting catch for locking the pin in position, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the knuckle provided with an arm which has its upper corner inclined or cut away, a pivoted locking device placed inside of the draw-head and provided with an inclined flange or shoulder, and a lever for raising the locking device, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the draw-head, the knuckle, and the pivoted locking device, which is provided with an inclined shoulder or flange upon its outer surface and a recess upon its inner side, in which the front end of the lever catches, and a shoulder which corresponds to a similar shoulder formed in the draw-head, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the draw-head having` a slot through its under side, a pivoted lever placed inside of the drauhead, the locking device operated by the lever, and the operating-rod which extends across the under side of the draw-head and operates the lever, substantially as shown and described.

G. The combination of the draw-head having a slot through its lower side, the lever which projects through the slot, the operating-rod for moving the lever, and the stirrup bent orgrooved at its center to allow the projecting portion of the lever to pass through, substantially as set forth. K

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK A. VESTBROOK. VINFIELD S. COOK.

Vitnesscs:

CORNELIUS E. CUDDEBACK, BENJAMIN RYALL. 

